


"africa" by toto

by emeraldcitydowntowngirl



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Other, but i did it for joshler... did it for joshler, lots of references to africa by toto, the Stressed Out handshake, yes i sat and analyzed the handshake it was the worst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 07:32:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8835754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldcitydowntowngirl/pseuds/emeraldcitydowntowngirl
Summary: Soulmate AU: You meet your soulmate and automatically engage in an elaborate handshake[ft. the "Stressed Out" handshake]





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [smallghostkid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallghostkid/gifts).



> sigh

“ _It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you! There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do_!”

Josh’s alarm goes off at 6:25 every morning- it used to go off at 6:30, but “Africa” by Toto is 4 minutes and 55 seconds long and, well… Josh usually lies in bed and listens to the rest of it before he gets up to face the day.

It’s, like, the best song ever written. No other song could… could compare to the pure awesomeness of that song. It’s catchy as fuck, the lyrics are super easy to memorize, it's a classic 'sing-in-the-shower' song, it's a classic _in general_ , and it's basically played a part in every good moment in Josh's life.

Josh got a dog? That song played!

Elementary school graduation? That song played!

Josh passed his algebra class with a 66? That song played!

First kiss? That song played!

High school graduation? That song played!

When he met his best friend? That song played!

Speaking of _best friend_ \- Pete groans from his spot on his bed, across the dorm room. He drags himself out of his bed, walks over, and shuts Josh’s alarm off right before the second verse can hit. He glares at Josh in the dim room, and he whisper-yells as he crawls back under the covers. “P and I don’t have class till noon, and he’s gonna kill me if he wakes up.”

P, aka Pete’s boyfriend, aka Patrick, rolls over in his sleep. Both Josh and Pete hold their breath as they wait to see what happens, but luckily he doesn’t wake up. Patrick’s a really nice guy… after 11 and a cup of coffee.

“Well, if he woke up to ‘Africa’, then that would be pretty great, wouldn’t it?” Josh asks, as he rolls out of bed himself. The room is dark, but living with Pete, who basically thrives in darkness, he’s sorta used to it. He grabs his toothbrush from the desk and he tugs on a pair of sweatpants over his boxers as he whisper-yells, “That song is, like, the best song in the universe. An instant mood lifter. A-“

“That song is horrible. Like… absolutely _horrible_. Also, don’t turn on the lights. Also, get me a cup of coffee. Wait, also-“

Josh rolls his eyes as he grabs his shirt, and he puts it on as he leaves the room, shutting it was a firm click, which is basically a 'no'. Anyone who insults ‘Africa’ doesn’t get their favors done. Best friend, or not.

* * *

Josh notices a lot of things on his daily run past Dallon Weekes’s dorm.

( ** _DALLON WEEKES_** \- Cute guy Josh still hasn’t talked to because Josh is afraid that he won’t be his soul-mate. Jet black hair, tall as fuck, junior, in Josh’s chem class, looks like an actual God, works at the Dunkin Donuts on campus)

It’s the usual things, the flowers on the side of the path, the spilled coffee on the pavement, the sound of someone meeting/talking to their soulmate (so many people meet their soulmates on the college campus-Pete did, Hayley did… It makes Josh feel a little gross inside. All of those statistics and it still probably wouldn’t happen for him), the biology notes on the ground, the discarded condom wrappers in the middle of the nowhere which… _how?_

He sees people awake in the morning studying on the grass with sweaters and cups of tea, people smoking and clinging their jackets close, people blasting music from their speakers, etc. Nothing is really unusual on the campus, as Josh has come to realize.

But there _is_  one thing that really stands out and makes Josh stop in the middle of his run- a guy. A guy Josh has never seen before. With a bunch of moving boxes. Talking to an RA. In front of Dallon’s dorm. In front of Dallon’s single bed dorm.

He pauses his music, “Africa” by Toto, and he darts his head left and right before he runs behind a patch of roses to eavesdrop on the conversation between guy with the fluffy hair and the RA of the set of dorm’s that Dallon’s in, Jenna Black. She’s Hayley’s soulmate, but Josh doesn’t really know her well. Well enough to stroll up to her and ask, hence why he’s hiding behind a bunch of roses. Because... well, he wants to know why there's a guy moving into Dallon's dorm. He's an impulsive thinker, what can he say? 

“Here’s your key,” Jenna says, and Josh watches as she hands Fluffy Hair a key-card. “and here’s a map just in case. I mean, you _go_ here, it's not like you've never been on campus, but just in case you need to find a Starbucks at 2 in the morning. The campus _is_ pretty huge, so..."

Fluffy laughs nervously. “Uh, yeah… I noticed.”

“But it’s fun! I mean, we have a whole bunch of things and jobs if you want! In fact, the Dunkin Donuts is hiring, since one of the guys dropped out a couple days ago.”

Blood rushes to Josh’s head fast. His heart starts beating at an unhealthy rate, because this guy is moving into Dallon’s dorm room and Dallon works at Dunkin Donuts and… and before he can think about it, he jumps out of the patch of roses, and shrieks, “WAIT, DALLON DROPPED OUT?!”

Both Jenna and Fluffy scream at the top of their lungs upon seeing him- Jenna drops her papers, and they go flying everywhere, an explosion of brightly color coded notices, and Fluffy runs behind one of the walls of the dorm building. “AAAAAAAAAAH!” Jenna screams, and she immediately picks up a bunch of the papers from the ground, and starts hitting Josh with them.

“What is wrong with you?! Why would you do that?!”

“Ow! I don’t know! Dallon dropped out?!”

“Yes! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“Jenna, stop! _Ow_ , that’s my ear!”

Fluffy looks a little horrified, and he watches as Jenna beats the shit out of Josh at 7 in the morning. “You almost gave me a heart attack!” She screams at him, before she pushes him to the ground, readjusts her shirt and her hair, picks up the papers from the ground, and takes a deep breath. She returns back to her perfect RA smile, and she looks over to Fluffy. “Come on, Tyler. I’ll show you the room!”

Fluffy/Tyler stammers a little, “O-o-okay… Um, is he… um, okay,” and he puts in the key card into _Dallon’s_ room, and walks into _Dallon’s_ room with his box of stuff.

This is the worst day of Josh’s life, he decides on the ground. And he was listening to “Africa” by Toto during it. And he has a paper-cut on his ear.

* * *

“So,” Hayley says, as she pulls out a seat in front of Josh in the cafeteria. It’s only been, what, 30 minutes since Josh screamed at Fluffy/Tyler and Jenna? And yet, there’s a small part of Josh that’s surprised that no one confronted him sooner. News travels fast around campus. “Jen told me about the-“

“Please… don’t remind me.” Josh groans, burying his head in his hands. “But, for the record, someone should have told me that Dallon dropped out.”

“I didn’t know either! I was marathon studying, like, all of last week. But still, I don’t think that really warrants you screaming in their faces, dude.”

Speaking of _friends who are super overbearing for 7 in the morning-_ Pete and Patrick shuffle into the cafeteria at the same time, searching briefly before they spot Hayley and Josh. Patrick drags his feet over to where they are, and he sits next to Hayley, all wrapped up in his blanket. Pete runs over to the coffee station, probably trying to get Patrick his drink before he starts bitching at everyone.

“Hey, you good?” Hayley asks, and Patrick grumbles in response. She shrugs after they realize that that’s all he’s going to offer them, and she turns back to Josh. “So… yeah! But hey, we’re totally here for you. If you wanna cry and watch a Korean drama with me and pretend that that’s making you cry and not Dallon, then by all means, let’s do it.”

Pete runs back at lightning speed, and he hands Patrick his cup. Patrick takes a sip, closes his eyes, and hums in content. “Mmmm… thanks.”

They smile at each other sweetly, and a pang of jealousy hits Josh like a ton of fuckin’ bricks. Not because he wants to date either Pete and Patrick, but just... relationships in general.

“I’m gonna go and get actual breakfast, okay?” Pete tells Patrick, and Patrick nods as he continues to take huge gulps of his probably scalding hot drink. Patrick scares Josh a little.

“Wait, pick up some extra bacon, I want some.” Hayley tells him, and then Pete runs back off to the line, leaving the 3 of them alone again.

“See," Josh says, with a frown. “I want that. I want a cute boyfriend to get me coffee in the morning. And Dallon is gone! He could have been the one, you know? And now I’m never gonna find him.”

“You’re overreacting... like, you're really dragging it.” Hayley says, simply, and Patrick nods. "I don't really know what you guys are talking about, but yeah."

"Long story short, Josh screamed at Tyler Joseph and Jen cause Tyler Joseph is moving into Dallon's dorm." She informs him, and Patrick's eyebrows furrow. "I don't think I know Tyler? But... yeah, Josh, come on. Dallon? I thought you were trying to get over him, dude."

“I _was_ but... I’m allowed to be upset!” Josh counters, “Right? I mean… I know I’m a pussy, but maybe he really could have been the one. We’ve never talked and I only admired from afar but, y’know… I bet his handshake would be great, all long and meaningful and firm.”

“That sounds vaguely erotic…” Patrick mutters, and Hayley shakes her head, “Yeah, no, Pete’s just getting to your head. Anyways- I think you just _know_ , you know?”

“No, I _don’t_ know, actually.” Josh knows he’s being annoying- but it’s 7:15 on a Monday morning, he has class in an hour, and he just wants to curl up in a ball. And he can’t even listen to his comfort song, because his comfort song is now the worst song in the world.

“And… and I was listening to ‘Africa’ by Toto while it happened! Like… that song is the best! And it always means good things are coming-“

“Ooh, coming?” Pete comes back to the table, with a plate full of food. Even before Pete sits down, Patrick and Hayley dig in- Hayley reaches for the strips of bacon, and Patrick tears off a piece of Pete's pancake. Pete blinks at them, like he’s debating on saying something about it, but he just sits down and shuts up.

“We’re not talking about sex at 7 in the morning, like... we’re just not doing that.” Patrick cautions, and Pete holds his hands up to surrender. “Never too early, just saying. But what are we talking about?”

Josh resumes where he left off, pointedly ignoring Pete. "Like, I listen to that song and good things happen! It’s so… pure, you know? There's nothing sinister about fuckin' 'Africa' by Toto!”

“First off,” Patrick begins to say, “‘Africa’ is an average song at best. With a chord progression like I-V-vi-IV it’s bound to be catchy but it doesn’t mean it’s _good_.”

Josh waits for a second part, but it never comes. “Sorry… what exactly _is_  your point?” Josh asks, and Patrick shrugs. “Oh, I just felt like talking about chord progressions. And I never pass an opportunity to hate on that song, since I have to wake up to it every fucking morning.”

“Maybe if you didn’t crash on Pete’s bed every night instead of staying in your own room, you wouldn’t have to wake up to it!”

“Alright, calm down!” Hayley scolds them, and she points a finger at Patrick. “You- stop talking about chord progressions at 7 in the morning.” And then she points a finger at Josh. “And you- since ‘Africa’ is such a good song for you, maybe Dallon moving out was just a good thing in disguise? Maybe you screaming at Tyler Joseph and Jenna was supposed to be a sign that you should talk to him, or maybe that he’s your soulmate. Who knows! Just stop complaining. And see if you can shake his hand.”

“I second Hayley.” Pete pipes up, not really adding to the conversation whatsoever. He takes a bite out of his breakfast, and he says, “And hey, Josh yelled at Tyler Joseph and Jenna? When?”

Like she was on a cue, Jenna walks into the cafeteria, spots the four of them in the spot that they always end up sitting at, and she runs over to them. She rests all of the once fallen papers on the table, and she waves to the table, “Hey guys!”

And then the most annoying thing happens.

Hayley gets up to greet her, like they normally do, and they kiss, which is relatively normal. But then they do their _handshake_.

It’s a thing that all newly found soulmates do- Pete and Patrick watch on with some sort of nostalgia written on their faces, but Josh just scowls.

Cause the handshake is such an annoying process if you’re not part of it. Firstly, since every couple has a handshake that’s unique to them, it takes fucking forever. And secondly, it just looks dumb. Josh wants to be part of one, of course, but it's so fucking dumb.

It’s like hearing an inside joke, and not being part of it. It just sounds stupid but everyone is in on it, and even though the sound of laughter is grating, you want to laugh too, you want to be part of it too.

Instead, Josh just sits with his stale piece of toast and glass of OJ and watches.

And normally he doesn’t even feel that bad for himself- cause he likes being single, kinda, and he doesn’t really have time to be single since he’s on top of his classes and he wants it to stay that way. But there was this teeny, tiny part of his brain that told him that everything was going to be okay, that he was going to have the confidence to shake Dallon’s hand one day, and they would have their handshake and it would be amazing.

But now, Dallon is gone. And Josh is here. And they’re not soulmates. And ‘Africa’ by Toto has lost its charm.

“Did this one tell you what happened this morning?” Jenna asks the table, snapping Josh out of his self-deprecating thoughts. Pete shakes his head, and Jenna looks over to Josh. “Why don’t you tell him?”

“I just wanna forget about it, actually.” Josh sighs. And it’s strange, but Jenna looks kinda sympathetic towards him. “Yeah, I figured. Long story short, Pete, Josh yelled at Tyler cause he’s moving into Dallon’s dorm. Well, not yelled at him, just yelled in general, but… he was hiding behind a bunch of flowers, and he scared the shit out of both of us.”

And then she turns to Hayley, who makes this little motion with her head, so she turns back to Josh, and she says, “But, I _am_ sorry that I hit you over the head with my papers. It only came to me, like, two seconds after the fact that you liked Dallon, and I totally forgot about telling you about him, cause when I found out, I was going over to Hayley’s but when I got to Hayley’s…”

She trails off, and the both of them burst into a fit of giggles. Pete, Patrick, and Josh all glance at each other, looking for answers that they know the two of them won’t provide.

"It's fine," Josh sighs, after the laughter dies down. "I mean, there are plenty other fish in the sea, right?"

Pete, Patrick, Hayley, and Jenna all nod at the same time, and their reassurances, "Oh, definitely, Josh! You'll find the one!", sound so... _something_. Josh isn't sure. But it sounds fake. Like they're just saying it to make Josh feel better, which he appreciates, but he doesn't want that right now. He's not even sure what he wants... Dallon? A soulmate? His friends to stop flaunting their relationships in front of him even though them being happy should make Josh happy? To listen to 'Africa' by Toto to feel better? Bacon?

He smells Pete's bacon next to him, and yeah, if there's one thing Josh knows for sure, he wants bacon.

* * *

So, as it turns out, Josh has seen Fluffy/Tyler before.

Being that they're all on a campus with thousands of students, it's pretty hard for him to memorize faces that he doesn't see often. But, when Josh gets out of his seat when his Chem lecture is over, 6 rows down and 3 seats over, Fluffy gets up too, and then Josh is suddenly hit with a 'woah-Fluffy-slash-Tyler-is-in-my-class!'

He's with a couple of guys who are wearing basketball jerseys, but they all soon disperse and leave through different exits- and Josh has Fluffy/Tyler all to himself. He figures he should sorta apologize for almost scarring him, so he waits in his seat until Fluffy/Tyler walks toward him. He's wearing a Grouplove hoodie and a baseball hat (the right way, too... Josh is wearing a baseball hat, but he's wearing his backwards.)

He also has a whole ton of books in his hands, and he looks busy, if walking could look busy, he looks like he has somewhere to be, but... oh well.

He steps out from his aisle, and the two of them make eye-contact. Fluffy/Tyler's eyes widen a little, he can probably tell who Josh is just from his green hair dye, but Josh shakes his head, "Wait, I'm not gonna scream at you, I swear! I'm Josh!"

Fluffy/Tyler gives him a look he can't read, but he doesn't tell Josh to go away, so Josh continues to walk with him- they _are_ going the same way, anyways. "And I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry for this morning. It's kinda embarrassing and I kinda feel uncomfortable just looking you in the eye, well I'm not really _looking you in the eye_ , but... yeah. I'm super sorry! If it makes you feel better, I have a paper cut on my ear from Jenna beating the shit out of me."

Fluffy/Tyler gives him the smallest hint of a smile. "Yeah, it kinda does make me feel better."

Josh holds the door open for him, and Fluffy/Tyler leans down a little so that he can walk underneath Josh's arm, and then they continue. Josh isn't really sure why, but suddenly he can't stop talking. "Yeah! Jenna's super nice, though. Like, normally. Her soulmate is one of my best friends, so it wasn't like she was crazy and yelling at a total stranger, y'know, and- sorry, I'm babbling."

Fluffy/Tyler looks kinda amused. "It's okay. I have nowhere else to go, anyways. I'm Tyler."

And this is the part where they shake hands- but Tyler's hands are full of books, so Josh gives him a small wave instead. "Josh. I've never seen you, like, around campus... like, did you just start dorming, or...?"

Tyler shrugs. He's kind of a simple guy. "Got tired with living with my parents, and, er... Dylan? Derick? Dal-"

" _Dallon_ , yeah."

"Yeah, Dallon, um, Dallon's room was available and it's a single bedroom so... that was kind of ideal for me, I like keeping to myself."

"But you're talking to me right now."

"Yeah, cause you're here. People don't really like talking to me? And I don't really have anything to say back."

"But I saw you with your friends just now?"

"Yeah, but they're not really my friends, you know? They're just guys I play basketball with. We talk about like... homework and basketball."

"So who am I?"

"The guy that screamed at me this morning?"

Tyler grins at him, and he tugs his baseball hat over his eyes a little. It's a cute hat; a babyish looking yellow. 

"But I like you. I mean, if I randomly jumped up from behind some roses and screamed at someone I've never seen before, I'd probably avoid them for the rest of my life. But you're, like, talking to me. It's weird."

Josh crosses his arms. "It's not weird. It's... I felt bad!"

"Maybe I'm the weird one then." "Yeah, maybe."

And Josh isn't even sure how much time has passed until Tyler stops in the middle of his walk suddenly. So Josh stops too, he's not going to walk and talk with the fucking air, and when he turns back, he realizes that they're at Tyler's dorm-room. Way past the gym, where Josh was originally  headed. "Woah, I didn't even realize that..." He trails off, and Tyler nods. "Yeah, me neither. I just remembered the roses, so I stopped."

There's another pause, the two of them stare at each other for a couple of seconds, and then suddenly, Tyler's phone rings.

"Africa" by Toto.

Josh does this unusual gasp thing, because... "Africa" by Toto, and Tyler gives him a odd look as he answers the call.

"Hey Jenna, I'm- yeah--- I'm okay--- yeah, I-- yeah, um," And then Tyler shifts all of his books to one hand, and he waves good-bye to Josh with his free-hand before he walks into Dallon's dorm room. Or his dorm room. Josh isn't really sure what he classifies that room anymore. 

He looks at the closed door for a couple of seconds, before he frowns to himself. Okay... "Africa" by Toto... is that a sign? And if it's a sign, is it supposed to be a good sign, or a bad sign? 

He sighs, shoves his headphones in his ears, puts on a Grouplove song (because of Tyler's hoodie), and he turns back on to walk in the opposite direction, back to the gym.

* * *

Hanging out with Tyler is... different. Tyler is different, just in general, but hanging out with him is exhilarating in a way that walking to class and studying with someone probably shouldn't be.

"My friends think that we're soulmates." Tyler says to Josh, about a week after that whole incident. They're in Tyler's single dorm room, on Tyler's bed, with their highlighters out and binders open. They're also sharing a bag of Sour Cream and Onion chips. 

Josh always imagined being in this room, being on this bed, but that he's here, it's kinda lonely. The big, big room with the single bed and desk. The fact that there's room to actually move around and not bump into something or step in someone's lunch.

Josh loves sharing a room with Pete(&Patrick), and he loves when their friends come to visit and hang out, and it's just fun. And Tyler's kinda... not like that. He's the most introverted person Josh knows, and it's weird and refreshing and he kinda loves it. He finds himself falling in love with small talk- it's actually fun talking about ice cream flavors and siblings and the weather sometimes. It's fun learning about someone new.

But even then, there's something different about Tyler. Josh just can't put his finger on it.

"Wait, really? Why?" Josh asks, going back to the whole 'soulmates' thing, through a yawn, and he lies back on the bed, straight onto pillows. "I thought you were straight?"

Tyler hesitates. "Oh. Yeah..."

Josh jerks back up from his spot on the bed and he raises his eyebrows. Tyler looks over to him, biting his fingernails a little. "Okay, I lied, I'm not straight."

"It's okay, I'm not either."

Tyler opens his mouth to say something, but he decides against it at the last minute. So, he opts for, "Anyways- my friends just said cause I'm apparently finally opening up to someone and that, like, I've finally found the one. Like I can't have other friends, or something... but anyways, I just brought it up cause you brought up soulmates, and it just-- just ignore that?"

"Wait, no, it's cool, I bring up random shit all of the time. And I'm glad that you're, like, opening up to me. I like hanging out with you, you're, like... cool. And your ringtone is 'Africa' by Toto which... that's fucking awesome?!"

"Yeah, I know! That song is a classic, how do people not love it?!"

"I know!" and then he pauses before he adds, "Our friendship is already like a hundred times stronger than the one I had with Dallon."

"Oh... wow. Were you guys close, or?"

"I've never actually talked to him before... but he smiled at me like twice so... I had that going for me."

"Oh. So... you're gay too?" "Yeah. Pretty much."

They smile at each other, and that's the end of that conversation. Tyler says "Wait, so I don't get this one part," and they dig back into their notes. And Josh has a weird _something_ in the back of his head, that repeats over and over again, " _shake his hand, shake his hand, shake his hand,_ " but he's too busy highlighting to really listen to it.

But he does wonder a little- what if they were soulmates?

* * *

“—and that’s why I’ll never watch an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba again!” Tyler concludes his 10 minute rant by taking a large bite out of his burger, and a large gulp of Coke. “So… how was your day?”

Tyler and Josh are sitting pretty close to each other in the cafeteria- not on Pete and Patrick’s level where Patrick is almost in Pete’s lap, but it’s getting pretty close to that. Their thighs touch, and Josh swears he can feel electricity. Or his pants might be on fire. Who knows.

“I’m still kinda confused as to how the two of you became best friends.” Jenna says, to both Tyler and Josh. “Like… two weeks ago you guys didn’t know who each other were! I mean, it’s cool! But like… how?”

Josh shrugs. “After I apologized for screaming in his face, we just kept talking. And anyone who likes ‘Africa’ by Toto is a friend to me, y’know. Even though I think that song is cursed.”

Pete raises his eyebrows about the whole 'anyone who likes 'Africa' by Toto is a friend to me' comment, since he's made it 100000% clear that he hates that song, but... whatever.

“It’s not!” Tyler argues, about Josh's point about that song being cursed. “It just- it was one bad thing! If you listen to it again, I’m sure something awesome will happen.”

“Something awesome like that song not existing?” Patrick asks, and Josh kicks him under the table, hard. “Shut up. Your shirt looks stupid.”

Patrick’s shirt doesn’t look stupid, Josh just said it to be annoying. But then Patrick turns to Pete, and gives him a _look_ , and Pete shakes his head, trying and failing to be subtle.

“Have you guys…” Hayley trails off, obviously asking about the soulmates thing, and Josh and Tyler share a glance, before Tyler shakes his head. “I mean, it’s not like… I mean, like right now! I have a burger in my hand, I wouldn’t put it down just to shake his hand, and Josh is my friend, that’s just… weird.”

“We’re just bros.” Josh says, before he winces a little. That sounded so cheesey and dumb.

“Yeah, exactly!” Tyler takes another bite out of his burger. “It’d just be awkward.”

“You’re practically at fourth base already, what with meeting the family.” Pete says to Tyler, and Tyler shrugs as he says dismissively “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

It gets quiet in the cafeteria for a moment, music-wise, which means that someone’s playlist finished. So, Tyler gets up, and he says to the group, “I’m gonna go see if I can request ‘Africa’ by Toto.”

And just like that, he’s gone.

And Josh doesn’t stare at Tyler’s ass when he walks away… totally.

“Dude,” Pete says, shaking his head in disbelief, “you guys have to shake hands. Just to see if you guys are soulmates. There’s no harm in just trying!”

“I second this!” Hayley says, “cause, like, Jenna’s the best thing to ever happen to me, and if I didn’t work up the courage to shake her hand, then… then I would probably still be single and not dating Jenna. Obviously.”

Jenna pretends to wipe away a tear, and she laughs when Hayley play punches her in the arm.

“It’s just weird!” Josh says, “I like Tyler as a friend, y’know… I mean, we do get along really, really, really well and he is really cute, but I can acknowledge another guy’s cuteness. Okay?!”

“Suit yourself.” Patrick says, just as the silence in the cafeteria speakers gets replaced with the worst song on the planet, aka “Africa” by Toto.

That unmistakable drum and conga beat is… well, unmistakable. Pete, Patrick, Hayley, and Jenna all groan as Josh starts jamming out in his seat a little, humming the part that the synths have in the beginning of the song.

“ _I hear the drums echoing tonight, but she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation!_ ” 

“This isn’t so bad, you guys are totally overreacting.” Jenna says to them, but Hayley looks a little nauseous. Pete looks mildly inconvenienced, and he searches his pockets for his headphones, and Patrick just crosses his arms and glares at Josh.

Tyler strolls back to the table, his baseball hat on the right way, unlike Josh's, with the little rainbow in the center, and before Josh can think about it, he holds his hand up to give Tyler a high-five for requesting the song.

And then _it_ happens in seconds.

Josh immediately stands up so that they’re level with each other, and then:

  1. Josh’s right hand smacks Tyler’s right hand, and then that happens again, but with the back of his hand
  2. Then they smack their two palms together, twice
  3. They fist bump two times
  4. Then they hold hands, Josh’s right and Tyler’s right, so that their thumbs are in between the space between the other one's thumb and index finger, and they move up a little
  5. Josh’s right and Tyler’s right stay together, and with their free hands, they smack above and then below the two hands
  6. They let go, and then Josh’s right pinky finger holds Tyler’s right pinky finger
  7. They move their arms up and down twice, with their pinkies still linked
  8. Then Tyler’s left hand holds Josh’s left hand
  9. They smack their free hands together (Tyler’s left, Josh’s left) twice
  10. Josh smacks Tyler’s right forearm, and vice versa for Tyler
  11. Then they smack their own free arm (Josh’s right, Tyler’s right)
  12. Josh holds Tyler’s hand again, Josh’s left with Tyler’s left
  13. Tyler pulls him in for a hug, Tyler’s hand comes behind Josh’s back, and he snaps



“Holy shit.” Pete says slowly, like he's in awe, after the whole fiasco is done. Hayley, Jenna, and Patrick stare with shocked expressions on their faces. Josh feels something very warm and fuzzy in his stomach.

Tyler blinks at him, holding his hand out, and then they do their handshake again, just like that.

“Um… can I tell you ‘I told you so’?” Hayley asks, breaking the momentary silence of just Tyler and Josh staring at each other in disbelief. “Cause… I told you so.”

“I’m really thankful that you decided to yell at me that day.” Tyler says, quietly, with a huge grin on his face, and then Josh just pulls him a little closer until they’re hugging, until they pull away to kiss each other, until they pull away to do their handshake again, until they come closer to kiss again.

And just as fate would have it, “Africa” by Toto played during the entire thing. 

**Author's Note:**

> even tho i said i was done writing joshler, i guess im not lol :/ i sat in front of my computer at like 2 am writing down the handshake and pausing like every second to write it down and that's like... how u KNOW you're trash :/ that being said, if i didnt write something correctly, let me know! at one point i got sick and tired of watching the two of them and i just went to bed so :'(
> 
> anyways- HAPPY (HALF) BDAY LILI SMALLGHOSTKID! i hope you liked this?! josher + peterick + jeyley (henna) is literally always a good time, so?! also i know that i posted this on 12/14 but... it's still 12/13 where you are so!
> 
> also yea, i chose "africa" cause of that vine of josh and tyler singing it in the van :'( ITS GONNA TAKE A LOT TO DRAG ME AWAAAAAY FROM YOUUUUUUUUUUU @lili you're stuck w me for life


End file.
